Share article:
Tags:
The Investigation Company has launched. Small but mighty, we’re different from your average employee relations provider. Our team of expert investigators are on hand to execute meticulous, fair, and rigorous assessments for the most serious and complex cases. Person-centred by nature, our investigations provide a psychologically safe space for our clients. We’ve witnessed first-hand what happens when you don’t put people first, so we’re guided by compassion, empathy and support. Always striving for the best, our services adhere to and exceed ACAS and BSI standards.
From 2020 to 2021, we’ve seen a 68% increase in demand for workplace investigations. Clients ranging from the NHS, to Ofcom, and Plan International look to our 20 years of investigative experience, specialising in areas spanning fraud to discrimination, to tackle the rise in grievances. Our services extend from investigation services to case management, audits, and investigation training courses. We’ve adapted to the current climate, delivering investigations remotely and face-to-face. We’re flexible, forward-facing, and firm on positive resolution.
Discussions with the Director
Director of Investigations, Gary Rogers, took some time to share his thoughts on what makes us tick at The Investigation Company.
Why are investigations important to organisations?
Investigations are the key to successfully understanding the root cause of a complaint, identifying whether the evidence supports or refutes the complaint and help identify a way forward fairly and objectively. All too often, there are examples of employers who fail to act impartially, allow their preconceptions and bias to prejudge a complaint without even speaking to anyone. People are often the forgotten aspect of an investigation and the impact on all parties is not generally considered. For an organisation to have high performing staff, high morale and a genuine belief in the organisation’s values, every investigation must be completed fairly, objectively and thoroughly with reasonable evidence-based findings.
What does a successful investigation look like at The Investigation Company?
Our investigations are conducted with people at their core, focusing on the relationship with all parties to build trust and respect and creating a psychologically safe environment to speak freely about their experiences, or what they heard, or what they saw. This enables our investigators to obtain the maximum amount of credible information, without directing or influencing witnesses, in the words of the witness, not the investigator. We don’t just apply standards to our investigations, we apply fairness and consistency.
Why do you think there has been a surge in demand for investigations?
The recent surge in investigations has come from two factors: the first being the move from remote working to the move back into the office space. People have been isolated for almost two years and grown accustomed to being surrounded by their support networks – family, friends – and so the fear of moving back into the workplace surrounded by colleagues with who they may have had a difficult relationship with before leads them to challenge these before they return. The second is that we have seen an increase in the complexity of complaints, spanning years and often including several individuals. The capacity within an organisation to deal with these is limited, as is often the skill-sets, and so they turn to an external organisation that has the skill, experience and capacity to deliver a professional investigation.
How is The Investigation Company different to competitors?
Our values are people-centric, we value people, and so our investigations are conducted with empathy, understanding and balanced with the need to obtain the evidence and the background to complaints that are often highly charged with emotions. We were the leaders in embracing the benefits from virtual technology in conducting investigative interviews, saving costs and reducing extended timescales to investigations.
As well as putting ‘people first’, we adhere to the strictest of guidelines, including our internal quality assurance standards, ACAS guidance and BSI codes of practice in investigations.
Any advice to organisations faced with an investigation?
Organisations should ensure that investigators are competent, trained and experienced to deliver investigations, this is one of the common failings of investigations when scrutinised at Employment Tribunals or Courts. Choose a provider that has a trusted and respected reputation, with a variety of clients, and can provide an objective, fair and consistent approach.
Robyn Marsh, Senior Communications Executive at The TCM Group
